Happy New Year! Over the course of monthly meetings, CLL Society Bloodline covers the basics of understanding CLL, beginning this month with definitions and diagnosis. It also shares news, explains acronyms and new terminology, and includes simple, fun quizzes. The cycle has just restarted and is updated yearly. If you’re new to CLL / SLL, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first, but it truly does get easier over time. For those who have been on the CLL journey for years, look for updates and new insights in upcoming Bloodlines.
MONTHLY QUIZ: Neutrophils are:
- A rare albino red blood cell.
- An important type of blood cells who primary function is preventing bruising or bleeding.
- A common white blood cell important in fighting infections, especially those caused by bacteria.
- The blood cells that, when they become malignant, cause CLL.
- Blood cells that were first discovered in Switzerland, a neutral country.
The correct answer is (3). Neutrophils are the most common white blood cell (WBC) in the body and are critical in fighting infections, especially bacterial ones. (1) Sorry. There is no such thing as an albino red blood cell. (2) It’s the platelets, not neutrophils that control bleeding and bruising. (4) CLL is a malignant transformation of B-lymphocytes, a different type of WBC. (5) And if you are interested, neutrophils were discovered in Germany in 1879-80 by Paul Erlich who first stained blood cells. Neutrophils are so named because their granules stained neutral under the microscope.
Neutrophils are involved in inflammation. They are the cells found in pus. If we have too few, a low absolute neutrophil count (ANC) called neutropenia from CLL, or medications such as chemo or venetoclax, we may be at risk of severe infections. “Neutropenic fever” is a rare potentially life-threatening medical crisis and demands expert in-hospital care.
NEWS: As the new year begins, we are deeply grateful for everyone’s support that allows us to offer more education, services, and support to all those with whose lives are touched by CLL in 2026.
- Join CLL Society for our next webinar on January 14, ASH 2025 Comes to You! Featuring Drs. Adam Kittai and Brian Koffman, bringing you breaking news and research from ASH.
- If you missed our Learning Insights program in BTK Inhibitors in CLL / SLL, you can watch the interview and test your knowledge. It has a fun animation explaining how all the approved BTKIs work and bind.
- How to Read a CLL Drug’s Package Insert: A drug’s package insert (PI) is a free, FDA-regulated but often underused resource that contains essential prescribing information, written for healthcare professionals. Thanks to Paul Budworth, PhD, CLL patients now have a guided, patient-friendly way to understand which sections matter most and how to use this information to get smarter care.
THE BASICS: Definitions and Diagnosis. CLL is a slow-growing or “indolent” or “chronic” leukemia/lymphoma of the B-lymphocytes, a type of WBC and part of our immune system. CLL is a leukemia because it’s found in the blood, and a lymphoma because it arises from a lymphocyte. It can be found in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph tissue, including the lymph nodes and the spleen, and rarely in other organs, such as the liver, kidneys, and even the brain and lungs. SLL (small lymphocytic lymphoma) is the same disease that has not significantly spilled over into the blood. CLL is diagnosed by finding ≥5000 clonal (genetically identical) B-lymphocytes per microliter of blood. SLL, where there are < 5000 clonal B-lymphocytes in the blood, is diagnosed when an enlarged lymph node is biopsied, and the same type of cells that are found in the bloodstream with CLL are seen in the biopsied node. The clonal nature of the cells should be confirmed by flow cytometry that identifies specific surface markers on the cell that are like a CLL immune fingerprint.
WORD/ACRONYM OF THE MONTH: Clone
A group of genetically identical cells that originates from a single parent cell. For example, leukemia cells develop from one original abnormal cell. CLL is a clonal cancer, though to confuse things, one may have several sub-clones of CLL that fight for dominance and respond differently to treatment. That is why combinations of drugs are sometimes used in therapy to wipe out all the subclones.
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